AERALIS, a British company that is developing an advanced fighter jet pilot training aircraft and flying training system, is to offer a new leasing model it says will significantly reduce costs.

Based on a modular concept with a common core fuselage, the AERALIS suite of jet trainers will have 85% commonality of parts allowing for significant cost savings over purchasing more traditional aircraft.

AERALIS says the leasing arrangements it is developing will reduce capital expenditure (CapEx) costs significantly and give customers the ability to ‘flex’ their flying training system as their requirements change over time.

The company adds that the trainer aircraft will offer a significant return on investment (ROI) due to a fuselage that can be easily re-roled as well as built to outlast traditional airframe structures.

Shortened training times

Further, AERALIS also aims to deliver shorter overall pilot training times by exposing students earlier to more complex mission management training due to configurable cockpits and a fully tailorable flying training system.

“When combined with the flexibility that the AERALIS training concept will provide, the cost reductions in training the fighter pilots of tomorrow become even greater,” the company said in a statement.

Tim Davies, AERALIS Strategy Director, commented: “Buying trainer aircraft outright is a major investment for any air force and much of that investment is wasted when the planes are standing idle because the training needs have changed. With our innovative leasing plans, AERALIS is changing all that. The AERALIS/Lessor/Lessee relationship means that the end user will be able to adapt their trainer fleet to meet both current and future training requirements.”